Cake caddy and the like



Dec. 25, 1934. E. D. PARR ET AL CAKE CADDY AND THE LIKE Filed April 4, 1952 d X 512 VEN-fOR.

" ATTORNEY$ Patented Dec. 25, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT orries.

Covington, y

assignors of one-third to Anthony G. Thies, Covington, Ky.

Application April 4, 1932, Serial No. 602,992

4 Claims. (Cl. 206-44) In the distribution of cakes, cookies and the like, from a central bakery to retail grocers, the general practice is to pack the cakes .1 layers in fiber cartons called caddies. Upon receipt of 5 these caddies, the retailer removes all of the top except some narrow edged portions or flaps, which he then turns down about the sides of the caddy. A metallic lid arrangement has a portion which slips over the top of the caddy and 10 the turned over flap portions hereinabove referred to, make a relatively tight closure therewith, so that the cakes are kept fresh. A lid, usually having a glass window, is hinged to this portion. The metallic tops are usually sold, rented, or otherwise furnished to the retailer, together with a wooden display rack upon which a number of caddies may be arranged in tilted fashion, so that the several kinds of cakes are on display through the glass covers referred to.

As cakes are sold and the various layers removed, the remaining cakes are no longer so satisfactorily displayed. Moreover, the buying public is inclined to assumefrom the appearance of a half-empty caddy that the remaining cakes have been there a long time, and therefore are stale. It has been demonstrated that the turnover in cakes is proportional to the effectiveness of the display and the fullness of the various caddies. Cakes which are readily salable from a 30 full caddy become less salable as the caddy is emptied until a point is reached, usually'when the caddy is somewhat less than one-half or one third full, where the cakes are substantially no longer salable. The grocer then usually removes the remaining cakes from the caddy and places them with other cakes in a suitable container, selling them as mixed cakes, frequently at aloss to himself. This occurs in spite of the fact that cakes keep very well in the caddies aforesaid, and 4 on fast moving items, cakes which must be sold as mixed cakes are frequently actually fresher than those cakes which are salable at thenormal price because the caddies are still full.

Various suggestions have been made looking toward the provision of false bottoms in caddies, so that as the cakes are sold the remaining cakes may be raised to such a position as to make the caddies appear full. suggestions are operative, they have hitherto either prohibitively increased the cost of packing cakes, or have been so diiiicult to operate or uncertain in their action, that retailers are not inclined to take the trouble to adjust them.

It is a general object of our invention to provide a false or inner bottom or tray for a caddy.

While certain of these which may be moved upwardly as each layer of cakes is removed, without disturbing the remaining contents, and it is a further object of our invention to provide a means of doing this that will not inany way detract from the appearance of the caddy, nor involve a great amount of time and effort.

It is also our object to provide a raisable bottom and means for adjusting it which may be cheaply made, and will not add any appreciable amount to the cost of manufacturing the caddy, nor add to the time or effort of packing it, which Will be adequately strong, and which will not change the appearance of the outside of the caddy when in use.

These and other objects of our invention which will be set forth hereinafter or will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading these specifications, we accomplish by that certain construction and arrangement of parts of which we shall now describe a preferred embodiment. Reference is made to the drawing which forms a part thereof, and in which Figure l is a perspective of a caddy with parts cut away to show the inner bottom and the method of raising it.

Figure 2 is a perspective of a corner of a caddy showing the manner of holding the inner bottom or tray at a predetermined distance from the actual bottom.

Figure 3 is a perspective of the clip or hoo for holding the tabs.

Figure l is a perspective of one of the tabs itself, fastened to the inner bottom or tray.

Briefly, in the practice of our invention we provide an inner bottom or tray 1, made of cardboard or any similar and suitably stiff material, and which may be inserted in the ordinary cake caddy or carton 2, during the packing operation. When on display this caddy has the metal top 3 with a lid 4 having a glass window 5 in it for inspection and display of the contents. Flaps 16 are bent down about the edges of the top, and provide a tight engagement with the member 3. Fastened to the two sides of the tray 1 are the tabs 6. These tabs may be separate, and glued to the tray 1 as at l, or fastened in any desirable way, or the tabs may be part of a continuous strip, passing beneath the bottom 1, or partly beneath the bottom as at 7a in Figure l, and partly above the bottom as at 71), passing through slots 70. The tabs are preferably made of strong card stock, such as a light jute board in which strength is combined with thinness and relative flexability. Under some circumstances they may be made integral with a bottom member, but under these conditions usually additional stiffening means for the bottom will be found desirable.

These tabs 6 are bent upwardly or vertically in relation to the tray 1, and have horizontal slits 8 interspaced along their length. These slits preferably have holes 9 at their ends to prevent tearing.

Two metal hooks or clips (Fig. 3) are provided. These clips are made from metal and so bent as to provide a reverse curve or hook having portions 10, ll, 12, so that the part 10, 11, may be slipped over the edge 13 of the caddy 2, so that the portion 11, 12, will be disposed on the inside of the caddy. The end 14 of the piece of the clip may be bent inwardly to improve the grip on the caddy by slipping over the edge 15 of the flap 16. In this way we make provision against the upward dislodgment of our hook member in use; though the device can easily be taken off the caddy, when the cover 3 is removed, by depressing the flap 16. It will be clear that when the lid 4 is closed, our hook device cannot be seen.

The slits 8 in the tabs 6 are preferably spaced apart a distance equal to the thickness of a layer of cakes.

Before packing the cakes in the caddy, the tray 1 is placed in the bottom with; the tabs 6 projecting up the sides, and the cakes are packed in, in the usual manner, layer on layer, with a cardboard and/or waxed sheet between each layer. Finally, the top is sealed in the ordinary manner. The tabs 6 are preferably originally long enough to reach from the bottom to the top of the caddy.

When the retailer receives the box he cuts ofi the top and bends back the flaps 16, thus reinforcing the top edge and forming the ridge 15. The retailer then slips on the clips in such a position that the ear 12 will register with the slits 8 as they are pulled up, one clip on each side of the caddy. The metal top and glass lid are then slipped on, and the caddy placed on display.

When the top layer of cakes is used up, the retailer removes the sheets that are between the layers, thus exposing the next layer of cakes to View. The retailer then grasps the end of the tabs 6, one in each hand, and pulls them upwardly until the second layer is at the top of the caddy and engages the ear 12 of the hook in an appropriate one of the slits 8, to hold the bottom in its new position. This operation may be repeated as each layer is used up, and the ends of the tabs 6 are torn off as they are pulled upward, so as not to project from the box or interfere with the closing of the lid.

It will be apparent that by these operations there will always be a layer of cakes at the top of the caddy, and from outward appearance it will seem that the caddy is always almost full.

It is to be understood that different forms of our device may be made without departing from the spirit of our invention.

The tabs 6 in no way interfere with the regular packing of the caddy. Since they are of appreciable width, there is no tendency even for a loosely fitting bottom member 1 to tilt as it is raised from the actual bottom. Of course two or more tabs can be used on a side, or tabs can be employed upon all four sides if desired; but this is not necessary. Adequate strength has been secured in the exemplary construction herein described. The hook members, though exceedingly inexpensive, will preferably be retained by the retailer for use on other caddies. Our construction is so economical as to add nothing appreciable to the cost ofpacking the cakes,

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:-

1. In combination with a container having an outwardly turned-over flap at its top edge, a hook member of substantial width, comprising revers,. 1y bent portions presenting an upwardly disposed loop adapted to be engaged over the top edge of said container, and a downwardly disposed loop adapted to present a hook-like configuration on the inside of said container, the outer leg of said upwardly disposed loop having a turned-over portion to engage beneath said flap.

2. In combination with a cake caddy having an outwardly turned-over flap, and provided with a slip-on top closure member for display purposes, a hook member of substantial width, comprising reversely bent portions presenting an upwardly disposed loop adapted to be engaged over the top edge of said container, and a downwardly disposed loop adapted to present a hook-like configuration on the inside of said container, the outer leg of said upwardly disposed loop having a turned-over portion to engage beneath said flap, said hook member being of a size substantially to be concealed by said top closure member.

3. In a cake caddy or the like, the combination of a raisable bottom member, means presenting tab members at opposite sides thereof, said tab members being of substantial width and of stout but tearable paper material, and having transversely disposed slots therein, said tab members adapted to be disposed normal to the surface of said bottom member and to lie along the sides of said container, hooks of substantial width engaging over the top edges of said container and having portions to enter said slots selectively, whereby said bottom may be raised and held in adjusted position, said container having outwardly turned-over flaps at the top edges thereof, said hooks having portions to engage over said flaps and portions to engage beneath the bottom edges of said flaps to prevent the upward withdrawal thereof.

4. In a cake caddy or the like, the combination of a raisable bottom member, means presenting tab members at opposite sides thereof, said tab members being of substantial width and of stout but tearable paper material, and having trans versely disposed slots therein, said tab members adapted to be disposed normal to the surface of said bottom member and to lie along the sides of said container, hooks of substantial width engaging over the top edges of said container and having portions to enter said slots selectively, whereby said bottom may be raised and held in adjusted position, said container having outwardly turned-over fiaps at the top edges thereof, said hooks having portions to engage over said flaps and portions to engage beneath the bottom edges of said flaps to prevent the upward withdrawal thereof, a slip-on top closure for said container having downwardly disposed flanges, and said hook members being of a size substantially to be concealed by said top member.

EDWARD L. SCHWARTE. EDWARD D. FARR. 

